S o m e t i m e s
by Sakurachild
Summary: Tell us about Rose Tyler: She just walks around with a key around her neck and a broken cell phone in her pocket. Sometimes, impossible is just an exaggeration
1. Chapter 1

**S o m e t i m e s **

**Tell us about Rose Tyler**

"I don't know much about her. We've worked together at Tourchwood for a little less then three years, but I never see her after work."

_What is there to say about her? She always keeps to herself, doesn't talk to anybody. She has a close knit family though. Only five of them left. The others were probably killed back with the cybermen. _

_She seems like the dull lifeless shell of a woman who was shit on by life. _

_Jamie!_

_What? It's true. She just walks around with that key around her neck and a broken cell phone in her pocket. It's not normal. _

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

My name is Rose Tyler. Three years ago I died. My body was missing, so my name was placed on the list of the dead. So many people died that day, and I was one of them. Physically I exist in another universe, but my heart and soul are not with me, and so I am dead.

My heart and soul are with him, in his magic box that travels anywhere, any time, any day. He is lonely because I died. There is no way to be with him, or so I thought. But he always liked a challenge, and I suppose that rubbed off on me. The bad wolf isn't done doing the impossible, because there is a better life out there, with him.

With My Doctor.

And sometimes, impossible is just an exaggeration.

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: **There is the introduction! This is my first Doctor Who fic. Be kind, review.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I really wasn't expecting so many positive reviews for the first chapter, but I'm very pleased by it. I was a bit afraid that the style I chose to open the story with was going to be a problem, but I'm glad people liked it.

**S o m e t i m e s**

_The stupid things people say can lead to good ideas._

"She doesn't talk much does she?"

"Would you let it go, Linda?" Jamie gave his female companion an annoyed look. "She says what she needs to, maybe she's happy that way. Stop trying to make it your business."

Linda just rolled her eyes. She was used to Jamie's annoyance with her. They had worked together ever since Torchwood re-opened, along with their currant conversation topic, Rose Tyler. The blond girl had just shown up one day, claming to have a good amount of alien knowledge. Of course she backed her claim up, but that didn't stop Jamie from taking an instant dislike to her. He always had a problem with people who kept to themselves and had "smarts", as he usually put it. Jamie pegged her as a snob that was hung up about something.

Although Linda was a bit less brash about things, she had to agree that Rose seemed to be stuck on something from her past. The way she stared off into space when she had a bit of free time gave Linda the chills. It was as though the sadness Rose was feeling just sort of emanated from her. It was a feeling beyond description, just, empty. Completely empty.

There was a suspicion that Rose knew more then she let on. That further set her apart from the other workers. Everyone seemed to be on edge around her. It started from the first day when Rose walked around the building as though it wasn't the first time. She didn't know the halls like the back of her hand by any means, but it was as though she had already been there before. People thought she was from the main branch checking in on the productivity, making little cuts here and there and weeding out the useless workers.

Linda wasn't convinced that was the story. She wasn't sure why, but that just didn't sound right in her mind.

"How could you think she's happy? Look at her face. She looks like she's about to cry," Linda replied indignantly. She forked her salad a few times before deciding against another bite. "Her eyes are always so glossy," she added as an after thought.

"Maybe she does drugs?" Jamie offered, not really paying attention. Linda smacked him up side the head. "What the hell was that for?"

Linda smacked him again. "The fact that you are asking that is a testament to Torchwood's "Non-discriminative" policies." Jamie gave her a confused look. "Did you lie about graduating high school on your application? Torchwood does regular drug tests, so there is no way she could be doing anything like that."

"D'you have to insult my intelligence?" The look Linda gave him was answer enough. "Fine, then. Well if you don't like my answers go ask her yourself," Jamie said defensively. He knew that was the one thing that would shut Linda up. Even though she was the only one who didn't think Rose was from the main branch, Linda was still too frightened to actually say anything to her.

The familiar perk of Linda's shoulders brought a smirk to Jamie's face. The slight twist of her lips made him grin. When Linda stood up from her chair and marched over to Rose, Jamie nearly had a heart attack.

She had started with unshakable determination. However, the closer she got to Rose the less she felt she could go through with her intent. Rose Tyler was not exactly the intimidating type. In fact, if it weren't for her dead stare and empty vibe, she would be very approachable. Still, Linda was set to prove that she could talk to the un-talkable.

"Um, hi there, Rose right? D'you mind if I sit here?" Linda asked, pulling out the chair across from Rose. Her response was a small nod. Linda hoped the gesture was a good one. "So, how are things?" she began, making awkward conversation. It was strange. For all the fear she had to talk to Rose, it didn't show in her voice. It reassured her that Rose was a good person, just a very sad one at that.

Rose didn't answer right away, she just sort of looked at Linda. If her gaze hadn't been so intense, Linda would have sworn Rose was looking through her. "Things have been better," She finally said.

Jamie's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He was in complete shock that Rose was able to respond to anything other then work related conversation. Linda had heard his slight gasp that he had tried to play off as a cough. She used her will power not to turn around and stick out her tongue. "What's been wrong?" Linda ventured a bit daringly.

"Everything," Rose said. Her voice sounded on the edge of breaking. Linda was not prepared for this. She had expected Rose to keep everything to herself, maybe indulge in a bit of mindless chatter at most. "This world is wrong," Rose spoke again.

"What do you mean?" Linda pressed. She didn't know what was making her pry. Maybe it was to prove Jamie wrong. Maybe it was the look in Rose's eyes. Maybe it was that those words sounded right coming from Rose Tyler.

Rose reached out her hand and held Linda's loosely. A small, sad ghost of a smile flickered on her lips like a dying candle flame before burning out. "I don't belong here. I belong with him," she explained. It would have sounded crazy if anyone else had said it. Linda knew that Rose was right, whatever she was saying. It was a strange sort of ultimate trust that only two complete strangers could have. Rose needed someone, and Linda had been the only one to try.

"Does anyone else know this?" Linda asked. She knew Rose had a family, but she wondered if they knew about her sadness.

"Yes. But there isn't much they can do. They want me to be happy. They tell me it's what he would have wanted, but I know better. He would have wanted me to find a way back, even though I know he'd never say it." Tears formed in Rose's eyes, but she was smiling. Whoever she was talking about made her smile. He was probably the only one who could help her now.

Linda held Rose's hand more tightly. "Isn't there a way you can reach him, a letter, email, maybe a phone?"

"No, he has no permanent address," Rose laughed at this. Linda figured it must have been an inside joke between the two. "He doesn't do the whole computer thing, really," She continued. "And I doubt my phone can reach his," Rose added softly. Linda saw her free hand slip into the pocket where she was known to keep the "broken phone".

"No doubt your phone can't reach his," Jamie said from his seat across the room. "The model is so old it's obsolete." Linda glared daggers at Jamie.

"No, the phone is better then it looks," Rose explained. "It's a super phone."

"Then why can't it reach him if it's so super?" Jamie spat back.

"Jamie! Shut it!" Linda scolded. "Rose, ignore him."

"Oi!"

"No. Oh my God, he's right. I never even tried that!" Rose was nearly screaming with joy. She ran over to Jamie and hugged him before dashing out of the room, the phone already in her hand.

Jamie and Linda sat there silently for a moment. Both where confused by Rose's sudden change in personality. Linda smiled slightly, then stuck her tongue out at Jamie. She stopped gloating however when she saw her friend's face. "Jamie? What is it?"

"Nah," Jamie said, shaking his head slightly. "Couldn't be. I thought that key of hers was glowing."

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N:** well that's it for chapter 2. I thought I would start out by showing Rose through the eyes of another person. The Narrative of the story will probably jump around from person to person. It's kind of a new style for me, so bear with. Thank you, and please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Does anyone else have a firm belief that Rose will be back at some point? The fact that Billie Piper said she was done _for now_ gives me hope.

**S o m e t i m e s**

_One call can change everything_

Martha let out a frustrated groan. It had been the tenth one in the past fifteen minutes, not that the Doctor was the kind to keep track. He knew she was bored, but the TARDIS needed some work, whether it wanted it or not. Martha's sigh would just have to wait until he was satisfied that it was him choosing the next location, and not his ship.

A sudden spark and searing pain on the back of his hand told him that he was done for today. Or at least for now. "Fine, you win this round," he told the TARDIS as he crawled out from beneath it's console, "but the war is not over."

Martha eyed the Doctor wearily. He had been fussing about under there for hours, not saying a damned thing, and she wanted to explore. That was why she had joined the ranks of "The Doctor's Companions". Yes, Martha had learned about the many other lucky people who had been given free passage to see the whole of space and time in the little blue box that no one ever seemed to notice.

The doctor mentioned them sparingly, when he would reminisce, which seemed odd because he didn't strike Martha as the reminiscing kind. However, there was the last companion, before she joined. She was the one that the Doctor never mentioned by name or even in memory. She knew there had been another though, because she had asked. Martha wasn't the prying kind, but she had asked one day who was with the Doctor before her, and remained silent for sometime. He had a far off look in his eyes and when he snapped out of his trance he decided to go to London, 2003. There was no adventure that day. They just sat outside an apartment building. A few people came in and out and the Doctor watched intently as though looking for someone. When they left later that night, he had said only one hint as to why they were there.

"I can't see her anyway."

It occurred to Martha that she had found something out about the Doctor that he didn't intend to share. The last companion the Doctor had, was not really a companion. She was so much more and some how he had lost her. It was heart breaking to watch the usually lively Doctor shuffle slowly into the TARDIS with his hand buried deep in his pockets, and the ghost of tears on his face.

She hadn't mentioned that mysterious person since then.

"All better?" Martha asked pushing off the railing she had been leaning on and sauntering over to the Doctor'' side. He had wrapped a cool cloth around his hand, which she assumed had been burned.

"I think this ship is trying to kill me. How do you like that?" The Doctor said indignity in his voice. "After all our travels together."

Martha rolled her eyes and took the Doctor's hand in hers to examine his battle wound. It was something the Doctor liked about her. There was something maternal about Martha, domestic. She wasn't sure why he was so fond of her motherly habits, being as he was an advocate against domestics, but she never pried. She had come to except that the Doctor was always going to keep her at arm's length.

"So where are we off to today, Doctor?" Martha inquired after re-wrapping his hand.

"Where would you like to go? Past, future, some strange planet with funny little creatures that crawl around on their backs?" The Doctor quirked his eyebrows suggestively at the last suggestion. Martha broke out into a wide grin.

"That last one sounds nice," she said, clapping her hands together in excitement. Martha had been a vet before she started traveling. All the strange little creatures the Doctor showed her were amazing and she loved it.

"Alright, We're off to Maloicso, home of the glurb. You'll love these things, they glow in the dark!" The doctor had a goofy grin on his face as he began to set the coordinates for the alien planet. He stopped abruptly when a very foreign sound filled the TARDIS. "What was that?" the Doctor asked.

The sound was made again. "You have a phone?" Martha asked, completely shocked. After all the time she had spent on the TARDIS, and all the things the Doctor had shown her, this was probably the strangest.

"I have a phone, but I don't have a number, so who could be calling?" The Doctor went to the phone in its little hiding place as it rang once more. Cautiously he picked it up. All he heard for a few moments was static and fuzz. Martha cocked her head a bit trying to read the Doctor's expression. "Hello?" the Doctor tried to listen for a response. Martha watched as his face went from confused to an emotion she had never seen in her life. It was a mix between shock, fear, happiness, and strangely, sadness.

He placed the phone down gently, and found the floor as he sat down. His eyes seemed glassy. "Doctor, who was it? What happened?" Martha ran to the unresponsive Doctor and tried snapping her fingers to bring him back. She couldn't fathom what had upset him so much. "Doctor, please, who was it?"

"Rose."

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N**: okay, thought I'd bring in the Doctor at this point, see how things are with him. Next chapter will be out soon. Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

**S o m e t i m e s **

_A message can be sent more then once_

Rose stared at the phone in her hand, unable to stop the smile that began to stretch across her face. It was him, it was really him. It was one word, and soon hope was overwhelming her.

_It took three rings before some one answered. The phone sputtered and static crackled in her ear, but rose kept listening, hoping to hear his voice. Finally someone spoke._

"_Hello?" _

_That was her doctor all right. The slightly confused voice was over powered by a curious bemusement. She could just imagine the look on his face trying to figure out who would be calling his TARDIS, all the while smiling a cheeky grin. _

_The static was back again, and Rose didn't have a chance to finish her sentence. _

"_Doctor, I…" and the line died. The battery has blown a fuse. _

Of course the line would die quickly. It took an entire sun's power just to say good bye, one measly little battery wasn't going to last, even if it was TARDIS powered. But Rose still felt a new sense of hope. All was not lost.

Linda found Rose sitting on the Torchwood roof smiling happily to herself like a child who had completed a task for the first time. The cell phone in her hand looked like it had blown up, but the oddly unconcerned expression on her co-worker's face lead Linda to believe this was not a problem. She walked slowly up to Rose and tapped her on the shoulder.

"You get through to him?" Linda asked. She sat down beside Rose and noticed that her eyes seemed brighter then they had before.

"Sort of," Rose replied offhandedly. "He said hello, but I don't know if he heard me when I called out to him. The line went dead." Rose didn't stop smiling, and Linda felt the urge to as well. "I can't believe the TARDIS has that much power," Rose began to trail off.

"TARDIS?" Linda asked. He eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Time and relative dimensions in space, TARDIS," Rose explained. Linda still looked confused. "It's a space ship that travels through time." Rose saw the questions bubbling before Linda could even ask them. "I should probably explain."

"That would be nice, yeah," Linda replied. Even if Rose sounded like a sane person when she spoke about different worlds, it was still nice to have a little background information. It was part of Linda's job at Torchwood. Collecting and reviewing information was something that came naturally to her.

Rose started from the beginning. From the first time the Doctor had told her "run" to the last time he said her name. She talked about slitheen and their home planet that was difficult to say. Rose told the story of the Daleks, Cyberman, and the war they started on earth. She had a sad smile on her face when she talked about the last goodbye on Dårlig ulv stranden.

"When I had the TARDIS's power in me, I sent this one message to me throughout time and space, it even made it over through the dimension." Rose laughed a bit at that. "I could see all that ever was and all that ever would be, but if only I was able to remember it, maybe I could have stopped myself from leaving the Doctor."

"If the power of the TARDIS is so strong, I don't see how you can't harness it in some way to bring you back," Linda said. She hadn't meant to say it out loud, but she was often told she had a bad habit of word vomit. Rose just laughed and shook her head.

"The Doctor closed off all the holes in the void. Even if I were able to get that message across to him, I'd basically have to ask him to undo everything he did." Rose shook her head again. "No, I can't do that."

"If all the holes are closed then how could you have called him?"

Rose looked up to see Jamie standing not to far away. He had a confused look on his face like the matter was really bothering him. When Jamie realized Rose and Linda where looking at him, he blushed furiously and looked away. "Its just, you know, that TARDIS thing seems a lot more powerful then you give it credit for."

"Jamie, she traveled around in the thing for over a year, I think she knows more about it then you." Linda said calmly. She then looked over to Rose again. "There's just one thing that I was wondering," she started. For some reason, Linda needed to know this one thing. "What was the message?"

It was strange, but ever since that day, Rose had not uttered those two words together. It wasn't a particularly hard phrase to avoid, but non-the less, it was almost heart breaking to say it. "Bad Wolf," she answered.

Almost instantly Jamie and Linda gasped. It couldn't have been, Linda thought to herself. It was almost impossible to fathom, but then again, so was all of Rose's stories.

"Bad wolf?" Linda repeated, teasing the way it sounded. It sounded right.

"Yeah," rose said, not sure what was wrong with her two companions.

"That's…no, well, maybe." Jamie was making less sense then usual, but for once, Linda could understand why. "But that's the name of Torchwood's latest project. You don't think…"

Rose hopped to her feet and seemed to smile even brighter then before. "Oh yes I do."

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: **sorry this chapter took so long to come out. I was on vacation and just got back a few days ago and I've been busy as hell. I know this one is a bit short, but oh well, it happens, right? Anyway, please review.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I wasn't sure how to do this chapter so I hope it comes out all right.

S o m e t i m e s 

_Hope has to be a little forced._

It was weird for the Doctor to just there and stares out at space for this long. There were times when Martha was sure he suffered from ADD (well, maybe not suffer). But right now he was just staring. It was quit frankly freaking her out. Martha waved her hand in front of the Doctor's face a few times and called his name. When that didn't work she tried asking who Rose was, although she had a gut feeling she already knew. Still nothing, but that's when she noticed something she hadn't before. The slight wrinkle of his forehead due to the furrowed brow, the way his eyes had an extremely focused look, it all meant one thing. He was thinking. Martha leaned in a little more to the Doctor almost expecting to hear his thoughts.

Not a smart idea since moments later the Doctor shot up and knocked heads with the confused girl. Martha fell back holding her head in pain, but the Doctor paid it no mind as he took three large strides to the TARDIS console. "Doctor?" Martha was getting worried again.

He turned around with a wide wolfish grin on his face and Martha felt the chill of another adventure coming on. It was that chill that forced her legs to walk into the TARDIS and start a life with the Doctor. "Tell me, Martha, when the doctor closes up a wound, it stays closed, correct?"

She wasn't sure how to answer that question, mostly because it wasn't what she was expecting. "Well, I suppose so, unless the patient strains too much." She tried.

"And if that happens, and things start coming through, small things like…let's say signals, where does the wound open?" He was speaking in that fast, excited nature of his as he walked over to Martha and grabbed her shoulders.

"At the scar!" Martha said getting pulled into the excitement. She almost felt as though there would be a prize for the correct answer when the Doctor smiled again.

"So, now were are we going?"

"The!…scar?"

"Yes!" the doctor hurried around the console punching in coordinates before Martha was able to question anything. Her mind was going a million miles an hour trying to piece together exactly what had happened. The phone call, Rose, the scar, none of it seemed to fit together.

"Doctor, what scar? What about Rose?" Martha was frantically trying to keep up with the Doctor as he ran around, practically dancing. But he stopped when she had said that name. Rose.

"It all fits. I don't expect you to know because I never told you." Had he been facing her, Martha would have seen the guilty look on his face. "Rose, she was fantastic. I don't know how else to explain her. There just aren't words." His voice seemed to rise at strange points and Martha was beginning to think he was crying, or trying not to. "I lost her not long before I met you," the Doctor explained.

Martha remembered that day clearly. He had seemed so lost when she first saw him. It wasn't obvious, because the Doctor tried to hide it. That's how he was, she learned. As she traveled with him, he got better, but he never completely healed.

"I lost Rose, she was taken away during the war and ended up in another dimension with her family. It was what I thought I wanted for her, but she knew better. She fought to stay with me, but in the end it wasn't meant to be." The Doctor breathed in deeply. "She loved me, and I never got to answer her, which is probably my biggest regret." Martha felt a lump in her throat. The Doctor had never spoken about any of his companions this way.

"But she's still alive, yeah?" Martha thought hopefully. "I remember you telling me about the void, and the war, if a signal is getting through, maybe Rose can too!"

The Doctor finally looked at Martha. He had a look of sad thanks. "That would be nice, but the most I'm hoping for is to be able to tell her my answer." Martha looked forlorn. "If we opened the scar enough to allow Rose through, the Cybermen and the Daleks could also get through. I wanted to be selfish that day and stop everything to save her, and I've fought with myself everyday since about it. But I can't ever be selfish, and that is my curse."

"After I speak to Rose I'm going to find out what is straining the scar and close it for good."

"No!" Martha couldn't stop herself. "I have seen you help complete strangers and save the world a million times over, and for once you need to be selfish. There has to be a way to bring her back without setting the Cybermen and Daleks free, and I won't let you give up until we have looked at every option."

For a moment there was silence. Martha almost regretted speaking up, she was afraid she mad the Doctor mad, but then he smiled. It was small, but content.

"You know what, she would have said the same thing."

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N:** I'm not sure I like this chapter, but I can't see it done any other way so whatever. Please review.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I'm not dead, Rose is coming back, and i love being right. Never gave up hope and now Billie piper is returning tonight, well it may have already happened. Not sure, don't live in London and i'm no good with time zones. regardless ROSE IS BACK!

P.S. That was a quote from the earlier today, (except the dead part). No Breaths were taken.

**S O M E T I M E S**

_Bad news can be good news_

"It's not like you can get in," Jamie said with a slight smugness. He knew that would slow Rose down from running through the halls to where Bad Wolf was being worked on, whatever it was. The blond came to a halt and turned back at Linda and Jamie.

"What do you mean I can't get in?"Rose questioned.

"Hello, top secret? Did you not get that part?" Jamie said. Linda elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Oi! That hurt!" he complained. "Besides, causing me pain isn't going to change the fact that if Rose wants to get into a top secret room, she needs to be granted access by the director of operations."

Linda frowned. She had heard some stories about the director, not the nicest man. She had never met him and considered that a good thing. Rose seemed less then defeated however. In fact, she seemed a bit mad.

"Who?" She spoke calmly, but both Jamie and Linda took a cautious step back. Anger was shaking in her voice.

"The..er, Director...of operations?" Jamie offered much meeker now.

Without a second thought, Rose turned sharply on her heel and walk quickly and sternly to the lift. She stepped on and Linda followed, pulling Jamie with her. Rose pressed the button that would bring them to the top floor, the director's office.

Jamie felt sick. "Oh God, you're gonna get us all sacked!"

"Shut it Jamie!" Linda scolded. "Rose knows what she's doing, right?" Linda looked hopefully at Rose.

"Yeah, I'm gonna kill him."

Linda's Smile fell.

* * *

The door's of the Director's office burst open. The little red-headed secretary looked up, completely mortified. She became even more frightened when she realized who was there.

Thinking quickly the secretary rushed out from behind her desk and scurried over to the group of three. She paid no attention to the two that hung back with nervous expressions, she just focused on their leader. She was angry, which could mean only one thing. She had found out.

"Rose! How nice to see you," the secretary's voice shook a little as Rose walked right by her. "Bad news," she said running to stay by Rose's side, "The director isn't actually in at the moment, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT!"

It was too late. Rose had burst thought the thick oak doors that separated the Director from his company. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Rose's voice boomed within the office.

"He's the guy who writes our checks," Jamie hissed. "Just remember that and play nice, see you later."

He turned to leave but Linda stopped him.

"I'm sorry sir," The secretary said. "I really tried to..."

"That's enough, Maggie. I'll deal with her." Maggie nodded and ran from the room closing the door behind her. "Now Rose, i take it you know about Bad Wolf. I tried to get them to change the name, but it was already in the system by the time I found out about it. Thought making it top secret would keep you from finding out."

"How dare you. Really, you know exactly what those words mean and you kept them from me?" Rose said incredulously. "What right do you have?"

"You're digging us all a grave Rose," Jamie pleaded. "Just tell the man you're off your meds and maybe he'll let it go?" Linda did nothing. She was too shocked by what was happening.

Rose ignored him. "I have half a mind to tell mum." Jamie and Linda's mouths hung slack at the jaw. What was even more surprising was how stiff and scared the Director had become. "You like that do you?" Rose smirked.

"There is no need to get Jackie involved. We can handle this like adults."

"No, i don't think so. Hope that couch is comfy cause you'll be sleeping on it the rest of your life." Rose was almost laughing. It was evil.

"Listen Rose..."

"No you listen to me, Dad. I want access to the bad wolf project." She thought a moment. "Them too," she added pointing at Jamie and Linda who looked as though a heart attack was emanate.


	7. Chapter 7

**S O M E T I M E S**

_All hope isn't lost_

The grinding noise of the TARDIS as it materialized signified to any around that the doctor had arrived.

In a grand gesture, the Doctor threw open the doors and stepped out with his coat billowing out behind him. "Hell...o?" The once busy Torchwood office was now vacant and undisturbed. It looked as though no one had touched it since the war. "They just picked up and moved?" the doctor sounded shocked and outraged all at once. "Well thats just not nice," he turned to Martha as she stepped out of the little blue box. "They didn't even send me a change of address."

"Yeah cause you're so easy to get in touch with," Martha replied sarcastically.

The Doctor frowned. "Rose did, and she's in another universe." he sounded like a child defending it's self indignantly. "Now then," He said smiling brightly. He turned to a large empty wall and pointed. "Scar."

Martha waited a moment. Nothing happened. The doctor just kept pointing and staring. She waited a little longer. Still nothing. "And then what?" she asked.

The Doctor turned back around with a sheepish look on his face. "Eh, not really sure. The scar doesn't look like its breaking down, I've got no readings." he seemed a bit forlorn.

"What was that?" Martha was looking straight past the Doctor. He turned to see what she was talking about and caught a glimpse. The wall had moved, like a small ripple in water.

"Oh now that's very interesting." the Doctor moved closer to the wall and pressed his hand against it. The wall gave way like one of those temaurpedic mattresses. "very interesting indeed."

"What does that mean?" Martha asked.

"Rose can't come back this way." The Doctor was solemn. "The scar hasn't been compromised at all. It's like a sponge. Absorbs signals like water and lets them through, but nothing solid can."

The Doctor stood up and walked over to the TARDIS. Martha watched sadly as the he retreated. She thought he would finally be happy, really truly happy. However, all his hope had been dashed. She started to follow him, looking down in shame for having built him up so high with excitement. Then she bumped into something.

"Oi!" she cried. It was a large piece of alien equipment, the Doctor's head peaked around.

"You should really be careful. Walking with your head down isn't safe," The Doctor smiled cheekily at her.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked as he dropped down the large black "square o' technology".

"Sending a signal, weren't you listing? Now i do feel bad about that sun." He said thoughtfully. "If I had waited just a bit longer, i wouldn't have needed to burn it out just to say good bye. Still, well worth it."

Martha's head hurt. She was trying to comprehend everything at once. The Doctor minus sun plus signal times sponge divided by scar (carry the one) equals rose? She screwed up her face in deep thought. "So you burned out a sun to say goodbye to...rose? But you didn't need to because you can send signals through the wall/sponge that is the scar from the two universes that Rose is on the other side of?" That didn't make much sense.

"Correct!" The Doctor said as he brought out another hunk of equipment.

"So, you are gonna send Rose a signal? Oh my God! You still want to tell her how you feel, of course!" Martha slammed her fist into her palm in excitement. "You make things too complicated," she added.

"Well now that you have mentioned the obvious, you can help. Allons-y!"

A/N Well another chapter done much much much later then I had hoped. However I'm currently unemployed and not in school (do I sound like a loser yet?) so I should have plenty of time to finish this story up...this week! (how bout now?) If it doesn't happen I'm sorry, but I should have warned everyone in advance, I'm something of a procrastinator.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**: see, no life now. But thats good news for anyone still reading this story. Which by the way, thank you everyone that didn't give up on me.

**S O M E T I M E S**

_An idiot is right_

Rose burst through the doors that kept the Bad Wolf project top secret, Jamie and Linda were not far behind.

"The director...is your dad?"

"Will repeating it fifty times really make you believe it any more?" Linda hissed. Jamie didn't respond. He was too busy repeating his new mantra. All in one day the mysteries of Rose were coming unraveled. Not only was this girl from another universe, but she traveled with a time lord (last of his kind) through space and time, only to end up living with her mom and parallel pops who happened to be the director of Torchwood. It was a lot to handle.

Rose was not fazed by any of this of course. Stranger things had occurred in her life. "What is Bad Wolf?" she shouted. All heads popped up at the outburst. "I have access from the director," she added.

One lab coat approached her with a clip board. "Its not so much a something," the man said looking at his charts more then Rose. "We aren't sure exactly what it is, yet." He added.

Rose leaned in, placed her hands on his face, and forced him to look up at her. "Then tell me what you know." Her smile was sweet, but her eyes were threating.

"R...right. Well, as you know this was the area were a tare was formed between this universe and another. After the tare was repaired, everything was fine again. However, within the past few months we've been picking up signals which were tracked down to this spot. After extensive research and testing we found that radio signals and almost anything on a wave length can get through. We aren't sure at what rate, though." The man finished. Rose let him go and he ran back to his desk. Every once and a while he would look up in fear that Rose would go after him again.

Rose stared at the wall were three years ago she had been banging her fists in rage and unimaginable sadness. She felt less assured now. If signals were the only thing that could get through, then this wasn't how she would get home. Rose placed a hand on the wall. "But it was called BAD WOLF. Why did I..." The wall rippled under her hand. "Odd." she pressed harder. It felt like a sponge. "Is it supposed to be like that?" Rose asked.

It was only a moment, but she felt it.

Someone was pushing back. She remembered the feeling. The day she died. The day she pressed herself to this very wall to feel, just a little more clearly, his presence.

"He's here!"

Linda ran up to Rose, excitement taking over her confusion. "Were?" she asked, almost hopping up and down.

"Calm down, there is no one here," Jamie said striding over casually. Apparently over his shock of Rose's family.

"Oh but there is," Rose said, more assured now then ever. "He's just on the other side of this wall."

"In the next room over? That is a bit convenient, isn't it." Linda punched Jamie.

"No, he's on the other side of this wall, right next to me, in another universe." Rose was beaming brighter then ever. "If hes there, then he heard me on the phone. He thinks there is a way."

"Or he could be trying to stop the messages," the lab coat said. Rose shot him a horrified look. "Listen, when we first started getting the signals we thought it meant that the void was opening up. Tried fixing it and everything. It took us two month to realize that this was just an after effect." a smug smile wormed its way onto his face.

Rose broke his pride with one sentence. "He's more clever then you." she smiled triumphantly. " f it took you two month, then the doctor probably figured it out in two seconds." She turned to Linda. "now all i need to do is figure out how to use this to my benefit."

Linda pressed her pointer finger to her lips and sat in thought for a moment. Jamie let out an exaggerated sigh. "Signals Linda! Not people! Rose, I'm sorry," he said turning to address the blond. "But it seems that you are stuck with us. There is no magic "heart of the TARDIS" to take you back to the doctor this time."

Linda slammed her fist into her palm in revelation. "Jamie you idiot! That's it!" Linda grabbed him by his collar and pulled him into a startling kiss. Rose and Jamie stood dumbstruck at the strange display. After a moment, Jamie recovered, and let out a sheepish laugh.

"Um, whats it now?" Rose asked, her eyes darting back and forth between her two new friends.

"Signals! It's just like Jamie said!" Rose and Jamie were still lost. "Ok, footnotes time. Signals get through, not people, but a real time image signal, that can go through. The Doctor is over there right now, so we'll need to do this before he takes off. You send the signal, get to the heart of the TARDIS, and take over that power again, and you can bring yourself over!"

Crickets.

"Explain how that works?" Jamie asked.

"I can't take the time vortex into me again. It nearly killed me the first time, and it did kill the Doctor. I won't let him sacrifice another life on me." Rose explained.

"Won't have to," Linda said proudly. She crossed her arms and smirked. "If you are a signal, you can send another signal back. If you take something like, oh i don't know, the time vortex, and send it as a signal to yourself, it will be diluted, and therefore not as detrimental to yours or anyone else's life!"

"That's a nice theory, but that's all it is," Rose said. Defeat fought it's way into her voice.

"I may not think it will work, " Jamie said with a strange air of defiance in his voice, "but it is worth a try. You have brooded here in our world for three years, and now that there is finally a chance, small as it may be, to go back you are willing to throw it away cause it might not work?" Jamie was getting angry now. "I only met you today, but I thought you were the never give up type. The kind of person who will search every cave, try every theory, until you got what you wanted. That is the kind of person your Doctor is searching for, the kind of person you were before you got here. If this is who you are now, then maybe you don't deserve to go back."

"Jamie!" Linda couldn't believe her ears. Rose smiled.

"Fire up the machines, we're sending a signal."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: this chapter sucks. Like really badly. For some reason writing from the Doctor and Martha's point of view is difficult. Oh well two more chapters after this.

**S O M E T I M E S**

_Not finishing first is fine_

"Are you going to tell me what you are doing?" Martha asked, now completely bored. They had been in the empty Torchwood building for nearly four hours while the Doctor tinkered away with the alien technology. Neither had said a word.

"Making something to send a signal, remember?"

"I was hoping for something a little more specific," she shot back.

"Alien stuff," the Doctor said grinning. "You wouldn't even know what this stuff is called." Martha rolled her eyes.

"Ok, so you send a signal, how do you know Rose will be the one to get it?" Martha asked.

The Doctor laughed. "Cause she's Rose." Martha wasn't convinced. "Listen, Rose called me. I don't know how much of that conversation was heard, but if she found a way to get in contact with me then she will only go to one place. That was the last room we were in together." His voice dropped off toward the end. "Anyways, she'd go there, or here, or parallel here, and try and figure something out."

"But this is Torchwood, right? Or it was. But it still is over there, so how will she get in?"

"Funny you should ask Martha, Rose works for Torchwood! Well, she was going to. Either way, her father is running the Torchwood in that universe, so Rose will get in." The Doctor said smiling. "And she'll come straight to this room," he added, pressing his hand against the spongy wall. "Oh?"

"Oh? Oh what?" Martha asked, poking the wall carefully. "No really, what?"

"She's all ready for us," The Doctor said. He grabbed Martha's shoulders and practically danced her back toward the signal device that he was working on. He flipped a switch and a million lights blinked to life. "Ready to send messages!"

"How bout receive them?" Martha asked.

"What?"

The Doctor looked up in time to see the wall begin to ripple more so then ever. The tiny lights on the alien device started blinking in strange code indicating that something was coming through.

"She beat us to it," the Doctor said quietly. He was impressed. "Come on Rose Tyler!"

"Doctor?"

It was the voice first, but slowly a form started to materialize. The form had blond shoulder length hair, most of her features were washed out by the blinding light, but her brown eyes shown through. It was Rose.

Martha couldn't help but feel awed at the display. She was almost angelic, surrounded by the bright white lights. Rose was indeed something special.

"Where is the TARDIS?"


	10. Chapter 10

**S O M E T I M E S **

_The risk is worth it_

"After all this time, it's the TARDIS you want to see first?" Despite being overjoyed to see Rose again, the Doctor couldn't help but feel the slightest bit indignant. Martha had given up trying to follow anything at this point.

"Now is really not the time to get defensive, Doctor, "Rose said. "I don't have much time, if I don't get to the TARDIS, my plan wont work," she pleaded.

"That's exactly the problem, Rose. You don't have much time and there is something I need to tell you in case this opportunity never comes again!" The Doctor sounded as though he was begging, but Rose couldn't bear it. She knew this would be her only chance to return to her Doctor, what ever he had to say could wait till she was corporeal in his world.

Rose spotted the blue box behind the Doctor, as well as a very confused looking young woman. She smiled despite herself knowing that the Doctor would be lost if left on his own for to long. She could bear no grudge on the new girl any more then she could towards the doctor. Martha seemed to realize she was being stared at and felt a bit uneasy. It wasn't every day that someone from another universe stared you down.

"I'm sorry, I don't know your name, but could you open the door to the TARDIS?" Rose asked. Martha realized it was she who was being addressed. "I'd do it myself, but I'm just an image…right now."

The subtle hint was lost on both Martha and the Doctor. "Right…" Martha said, opening the door quickly.

"Rose, what are you doing?" the doctor asked, still a bit annoyed that he was being ignored. "I have something I have to tell you and you want to go through the TARDIS?" As confused as he was, the Doctor couldn't help but smile. Rose had changed in his absence. She was stronger and surer of her self. Rose had always been able to stand up for what she believed in, but now it seemed that she had actions as well as words. The Doctor felt a bit proud.

"I need to see the heart of the…"

"NO!"

The smile vanished from the Doctor's lips once he realized Rose's intentions. After what happened last time, he couldn't believe she would even consider doing something like that again. "It nearly killed you last time. I know you would do anything to come back, but this is going too far!" the Doctor pleaded.

"But it's not me!" Rose begged. ""it's just an image! A signal. If I can turn that power into a signal and send it back to me it would be as strong. I can do this; the TARDIS is already a part of me now!" Rose wasn't sure what made her say that. She had never felt like she and the TARDIS had become one, but for some reason it felt that way now. Strangely, that feeling had been with her since lunch.

"Don't make me risk you!" the Doctor said, his voice sounding tired and defeated. "I love you, Rose Tyler."

It was barely above a whisper, but Rose heard it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jamie and Linda watched as tears formed in Rose's eyes. They had no idea what was happening anymore. Since the signal started sending, they had not been able to hear Rose. They knew she was speaking because of the movements her lips were making, yet no sound came through. They shared a satisfied smile among each other. They knew the outcome already, they always had.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Please don't make me risk you, now that you know."

The air was solemn between Rose and the Doctor. Rose lifted a hand to touch the Doctor's cheek, but she felt nothing, and neither did he. Tears formed in Rose's eyes. She wanted nothing more then to feel his skin and wipe away the tears he now shed. This was the closest she would ever come to her Doctor. After everything she had gone through to be here, she couldn't bring herself to do what the Doctor asked her not to. It ravaged him as deeply as her to know that all they could ever be to each other was an image on the other side of another universe.

Rose succumbed to her tears as she lost the ability to stand. "It's not fair!" she cried. "I tried so hard. I knew you wanted me to find a way back and I did but you won't let me know even though I know you want me to an…"

Rose couldn't control her words anymore. They barely made sense in her head as they rambled from her lips. The Doctor understood though. Inside the same things were running wildly through his thoughts. He wanted her back, he wanted to hold her, but he could never risk her life so freely.

Martha watched as the brave man she admired so much crumbled beside the glowing image of Rose. Her heart broke into a million pieces watching the scene. There was one thought that struck her as odd though. Rose was a part of the TARDIS. Her eyes danced back to the console. She felt drawn to it. Without really knowing what she was doing, Martha lifted what was apparently a lid.

The power seeping out of the console pushed Martha back. All she could do now was watch.

The Doctor wanted so badly to touch Rose, hold her and comfort her, but he knew she was just an image. He couldn't touch her anymore then he could touch air. He felt a warm, comforting hand slip into his own. He looked up to face Martha.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lights flickered and died all around the Torchwood lab. Pete Tyler stood in the room as everything quieted down. "Jackie is going to kill me," he said to no one in particular. He looked back to where Rose's friends had been standing, but they were gone. As one of the lab coats went flying by, Pete grabbed his arm and swung him around. Once they were face to face he asked, "Who were those two?"

The lab coat shrugged. "No clue, never seen them before. They aren't on record for ever working here," he said.

Pete let the man go to rub his head. Today had been too much, and tonight was not going to be much better.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was not Martha's hand, as he expected. The doctor was looking into the now solid face of one Rose Tyler.

"You feel that too, right?" she asked. The smile almost broke on her face as she waited his response.

Instead of a yes, the doctor pulled her from the ground into his arms and swung her around. He had no clue how this happened, but that didn't matter. In this moment, he was holding his Rose.

"Um, Doctor?" Martha asked meekly. The pair turned to look at the confused woman behind them. "I Think I might have broken the TARDIS."

Through the open door, the Doctor could see the latch of the TARDIS's heart was open. It shut by it's self, and the Doctor could almost hear innocent whistling. He smiled regardless.

"Don't worry Martha, I sure I don't need to do any work on her for a while." He laughed, but stopped abruptly. For once he didn't mind the interruption. In fact, if Rose was to kiss him in the middle of every sentence, he would probably never mind.

**A/N: that's the end…kind of. Prologue will be out before David leaves the show. Like I'd really leave it without explaining the Jamie and Linda thing. ;)**


End file.
